KENNY DALGLISH admitted a poor first hour had cost Liverpool FC as they lost the FA Cup final at Wembley, bemoaning his side’s naivety in handing Chelsea a two-goal headstart.

KENNY DALGLISH admitted a poor first hour had cost Liverpool FC as they lost the FA Cup final at Wembley, bemoaning his side’s naivety in handing Chelsea a two-goal headstart.

The Reds struggled for cohesion in a disappointing first half in front of more than 89,000 supporters and, after a catalogue of errors, fell behind to Ramires’ 11th-minute strike.

Didier Drogba added a second seven minutes into the second half, before a late fightback, inspired by substitute Andy Carroll who scored and then had a header clawed off the line by Petr Cech, threatened to give Liverpool hope.

Afterwards Dalglish was in no doubt that his side’s slow start had been their downfall, and believes they showed a lack of experience compared to their opponents, who now face a Champions League final against Bayern Munich in a fortnight’s time.

“That’s the frustration, that we never started until we were 2-0 down,” said Dalglish. “We were excellent for the last half hour, but the game lasts for 90 minutes. And with a team of the quality of Chelsea, you cannot give them a two-goal headstart.

“We had a chance where there was a great block on Craig Bellamy’s volley just after their first goal, but I think that was about the sum total of our efforts in the first half.

“That isn’t like us, and isn’t our ideal performance. But if you give a side two goals then you’re always going to be struggling. We left ourselves too much to do to get it back.”

He added: “I suppose it is credit to the lads that they came so close to getting an equaliser. But we left ourselves too much to do. I don’t think the performance in the first hour is a reflection of the quality of our players. Maybe it was lack of experience, Chelsea have reached a Champions League final, they know how to win games. And as good as they are, they still need a bit of good fortune to win games. Maybe they had a little bit today.

“We might have been a wee bit naïve. We’re relatively young, inexperienced at this level. Chelsea are thoroughbreds, who have been through the course before us. It’s a hard learning experience for us, but the way we finished the game gives us hope. Credit to Chelsea, if you are the best team for an hour then you’d be disappointed not to pick up a positive result.”

Dalglish said he was pleased with the contribution of Carroll, who took his tally to nine goals for the season with a superb strike after replacing Jay Spearing, and then saw Cech scramble his header off the line – perhaps from behind it – with eight minutes left.

“We have been happy with what big Andy has done since he came to Liverpool,” added Dalglish. “If people are going to be fair and honest (in the media) then I think they might have to rewrite their pieces.

“He came on, lifted the team, got the goal and was unlucky not to get another one. He just gave everybody a lift.

“Why (didn’t I start him)? Because we are only allowed 11 players, and we had 11. We have to pick a team, and we picked a team we thought was best.

“It was hard to tell everybody that wasn’t playing, but we have only got 11. Maybe we should have started with 14, it would have been better for us!

“To disappoint players wasn’t pleasant. But to be fair to the lads, their attitude was exemplary. (Carroll) coming on as a substitute was exemplary, Dirk (Kuyt) as well, and I’m sure any of the others would have been the same if they’d been asked to come on.

“That’s all you can expect. You understand their disappointment, not playing, but that should never be taken onto the pitch and to be fair the two lads who came on never took any disappointment onto the pitch, which is great credit to them.”

Dalglish was circumspect in his assessment of Carroll’s ‘equaliser’, but reiterated his view that goal-line technology should be brought in to help clear up such decisions.

“Somebody said it could have been given, but sometimes it’s not,” he said. “And in this case it wasn’t. And if it’s not gone over the line, then the officials deserve great credit.

“There is no excuse for (goal-line technology) not to be there, and it would be really helpful to the referees and linesman.

“It is not embarrassing for them, and I don’t understand why it is not there. It is helpful more than harmful. The game doesn’t need to stop, it carries on and somebody shouts ‘Goal’ or ‘No Goal’. It’s easy.”

Dalglish refused to answer questions on his own future at the club after the game, insisting that he, along with the club owners, would assess the season following the Reds’ final two Premier League games, against Chelsea at Anfield on Tuesday and then at Swansea next Sunday.

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Alastair Machray was appointed editor of The Liverpool Echo in 2005 and is also editor-in-chief of Trinity Mirror Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales. He is a former editor of The Daily Post (Wales and England) and editor-in-chief of the company's Welsh operations. Married dad-of-two and keen golfer Alastair is one of the longest-serving newspaper editors in the country. His titles have won numerous awards and spearheaded numerous successful campaigns.